TP 14931F avril 2009 TP 14931E BIKE-SHARING GUIDE This document was prepared for Transport Canada by Gris Orange Consultant © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, represented by the Minister of Transport, 2009. Cette publication est aussi disponible en français sous le titre Guide du Vélopartage. For a print copy or an accessible version of this publication, please visit http://transact-en.tc.gc.ca or contact Transport Canada’s Publications Order Desk at 1-888-830-4911 — International at 613-991-4071. An electronic version of this publication is available at www.tc.gc.ca/urban. TP 14931E Catalogue No. T22-180/2009E ISBN 978-1-100-14055-1 Permission to reproduce Transport Canada grants permission to copy and/or reproduce the contents of this publication for personal and public non- commercial use. 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To request permission to reproduce materials from this publication for commercial purposes, contact: Publishing and Depository Services Public Works and Government Services Canada Ottawa ON K1A 0S5 [email protected] Table of Contents 1 Introduction 1 3.1.1 Manual 20 1.1 Purpose 1 3.1.2 Automated 20 1.2 What is bicycle sharing? 1 3.2 Automated System Types 21 1.3 What is a public bicycle system? 2 3.2.1 Fixed-permanent 21 1.4 Why develop public bicycle systems? 2 3.2.2 Fixed-portable 22 1.5 History of Public Bicycle Systems 3 3.2.3 Flexible 23 1.5.1 Public Bicycles in Canada 4 3.3 Station Design & Technology 24 1.6 Benefits of Increased Bicycle Use 5 3.4 Bicycle Design & Technology 27 1.6.1 Mobility Benefits 5 3.5 Required Resources 29 1.6.2 Health Benefits 5 3.5.1 Human Resources 29 1.6.3 Environmental Benefits 5 3.5.2 Capital Resources 30 1.6.4 Economic Benefits 6 Section Summary 33 1.7 Specific Benefits of Public Bicycle Systems 7 Section Summary 9 4 Financing Your System 35 4.1 Costs 35 2 Assessing the Potential 10 4.1.1 Startup Costs 35 2.1 General Considerations 10 4.1.2 Ongoing Costs 35 2.1.1 Size 10 4.1.3 Theft and Vandalism 35 2.1.2 Density 10 4.2 Sources of Revenue 36 2.1.3 Roads and bicycle facilities 11 4.2.1 User Fees 36 2.1.4 Potential for Transit Intermodality 13 4.2.2 Public Private Partnership 36 2.1.5 Topography 15 4.2.3 Alternative Business Models 38 2.1.6 Climate 15 Section Summary 40 2.1.7 Levels of Bicycle Use 16 2.2 Feasibility Study 17 5 Implementing Your System 42 Section Summary 19 5.1 Planning 42 5.1.1 Assembling a stakeholder group 42 3 Hardware and Operations 20 5.1.2 Mobility Study 42 3.1 System Operation Type 20 5.1.3 Service Area 43 i 5.1.4 System Size 43 5.1.5 Station Distribution Plan 44 5.2 Implementation 46 5.2.1 Marketing Strategy 46 5.2.2 Timing 48 5.2.3 User Assistance and Troubleshooting 48 5.3 Follow Up 49 5.3.1 Monitoring Usage 49 5.3.2 Monitoring User Satisfaction 49 5.3.3 Improving the System 50 5.3.4 Expanding the System 51 5.3.5 Maintenance and Repairs 52 Section Summary 53 6 Case Studies 56 6.1 Vélib – Paris, France 56 6.1.1 Overview 56 6.1.2 Conditions for Use and Fees 58 6.2 Call-a-bike – Munich, Germany 59 6.2.1 Overview 59 6.2.2 Conditions for Use and Fees 60 6.3 SmartBike DC – Washington DC, USA 61 6.3.1 Overview 61 6.3.2 Conditions for Use and Fees 61 6.4 BIXI – Montréal, QC, Canada 63 6.4.1 Overview 63 6.4.2 Conditions for Use and Fees 64 6.5 NiceRide – Minneapolis, MN, USA 66 6.5.1 Overview 66 6.5.2 Conditions for Use and Fees 67 Sources 68 Resources 71 ii Figure 15 - The Vélib membership card or a NaviGO public transit card List of Figures are used as a key to take out bicycles .......................................... 24 Figure 1 - A Bycyklen bicycle in Copenhagen ........................................ 4 Figure 16 - A Vélib station service terminal ......................................... 25 Figure 2 - Montreal's new BIXI bicycle sharing system being demonstrated in October 2008 ..................................................... 5 Figure 17 - A Vélib locking stand .......................................................... 26 Figure 3 - Bicycles parking replaces an on-street automobile parking Figure 18 - A Bicing bicycle stand in Barcelona ................................... 27 space in Montreal .......................................................................... 7 Figure 19 - Anatomy of a BIXI bicycle .................................................. 28 Figure 4 - BIXI's initial service area and the distribution of population Figure 20 - Vélib redistribution vehicle ................................................ 30 densities in the Montreal Metropolitan Area ............................. 12 Figure 21 - A Vélo’v maintenance bicycle in Lyon, similar to those used Figure 5 – Contra-flow bicycle lane in Montreal provides a safe in Paris for on-site maintenance of Vélib bicycles ....................... 31 shortcut for cyclists ..................................................................... 13 Figure 22 - Vélib station service vehicle ............................................... 31 Figure 6 - A Vélo'v station in Lyon facing a tram station ..................... 14 Figure 23 – Outside and inside Vélib's unique floating maintenance Figure 7 - Comparison of average temperature range, precipitation, facility ........................................................................................... 31 and cycling season ....................................................................... 16 Figure 24 – Dispatching the redistribution vehicle by text message in Figure 8 - Cyclists in Paris using both Vélib and private bicycles ........ 18 Rennes .......................................................................................... 32 Figure 9 - The coupling system on Vélo à la carte bicycle in Rennes .. 20 Figure 25 - Bycyklen bicycles in Copenhagen display sponsors' logos on Figure 10 - Vélib bicycles have an auxiliary cable lock, seen here inside their frames and wheels .............................................................. 38 the basket, that allows users to lock the bicycle temporarily Figure 26 - Station distribution map of Barcelona's Bicing.................. 44 between stations ......................................................................... 21 Figure 27 - A V'eol station on a bicycle route in Caen, France ............ 45 Figure 11 - A Vélib station in Paris being refilled................................. 21 Figure 28 - Examples of public bicycle system branding ..................... 46 Figure 12 - Construction of a Vélib station in Paris ............................. 22 Figure 29 - A team of animators was hired in Montreal to promote Figure 13 - A BIXI station module being installed during a BIXI and show the public how to use the system ........................ 47 demonstration in Toronto ........................................................... 23 Figure 14 - A Call a Bike repository at a train station in Munich......... 24 iii Figure 30 - Phase I and the planned Phase II service areas for List of Tables Montreal's BIXI ............................................................................ 50 Table 1 - Comparison of motorists' and cyclists' exposure to traffic- related pollutants ........................................................................... 5 Figure 31 - Vélib bicycle ....................................................................... 56 Table 2 - Comparison of key environmental indicators for various Figure 32 - Vandalized Vélib bicycles in Paris ...................................... 57 modes of transportation with the private automobile for the Figure 33 - Map of the Vélib service area ............................................ 58 same number of people/km .......................................................... 6 Figure 34 - Call a Bike bicycle .............................................................. 59 Table 3 - Recommended system type and distribution with respect to city size, density, and land use ..................................................... 11 Figure 35 - User unlocking a Call a Bike with a combination code recieved by SMS .......................................................................... 60 Table 4 - Bicycle commuting rates in Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) ................................................................................ 17 Figure 36 - Map of the Munich Call a Bike service area ...................... 60 Table 5 - Comparison of manual and automatic bicycle sharing Figure 37 - SmartBike DC bicycle ......................................................... 61 systems ......................................................................................... 20 Figure 38 - Map of the SmartBike DC stations .................................... 62 Table 6 - Human resources with respect to the number of bicycles, stations, and daily users for three French smart bike systems ... 29 Figure 39 - BIXI bicycle ......................................................................... 63 Table 7 – Initial and ongoing costs for public bicycle systems ............ 36 Figure 40 - Station Distribution for Phase I of BIXI .............................. 65 Table 8 – Typical distribution of responsibilities and cost burden in a Figure 41 - The BIXI System bicycle in Minneapolis livery ................... 66 PPP business model for public bicycles ....................................... 37 Figure 42 - Proposed service area for